If Whiteside’s asking price is too high or Miami conceives a different free agency plan based on bringing in someone of Kevin Durant’s caliber, Whiteside might be moving on. Here are the five best options for him if he leaves the Heat:

1. Boston
The Celtics offer Whiteside the best combination of money, role and playing for a winner. Boston finished in a four-way tie for third place in the Eastern Conference last season. The team is way under the salary cap for next season and has Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart locked up for two years.

2. Charlotte
The Hornets have an incentive that no other team can put in front of Whiteside: a chance to return to his hometown. Whiteside can go back to place where he started, near plenty of family and friends, plus he would be on an up-and-coming team. Charlotte currently has center Al Jefferson heading into unrestricted free agency, but he’s dealt with injuries lately and missed 35 games last year.

3. Dallas
Mark Cuban swung big on DeAndre Jordan last summer only to lose him in one of the most bizarre free agency sagas ever. He gets another shot at landing a top-line big man with Whiteside. Don’t underestimate his recruiting ability or the Mavericks’ appeal to Whiteside. They’ve been in the playoffs 15 of the last 16 years and have no star outside of Dirk Nowitzki, leaving an alluring role for Whiteside.

4. Los Angeles Lakers
Tons of kids grow up wanting to play for the Lakers, and as a big fan of Shaquille O’Neal, Whiteside was probably one of them. More importantly, Los Angeles is one of the NBA’s marquee teams and has enough salary cap space for a full relaunch. The Lakers could sell Whiteside on a plan to surround him with enough talent over the next two free agency periods to contend in the Western Conference.

5. Houston
If Dwight Howard leaves the Rockets this summer, which appears likely, Whiteside would be a younger and potentially more talented replacement. Houston barely slipped into the No. 8 seed in the West this year and has to make changes if it wants to get back to being a contender. It was 21st in defensive rating last year, an area in which Whiteside could make an immediate impact. The Rockets also still have Patrick Beverley, James Harden and Trevor Ariza under contract for multiple seasons.